Oak Street Bootmakers Natural Trench Oxford

—Urban Beardsman
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May 19, 2015

Oak Street Bootmakers founder and designer, George Vlagos, honed his skills as a cobbler while apprenticing in his father’s shop. George strives to “…preserve the heritage of fine shoemaking through thoughtfully designed and attentively crafted shoes.” Creating shoes that are as durable as they are comfortable is paramount for George. Oak Street boots are designed in Chicago and made in the USA.

Oak Street uses Horween Chromexcel leather. Chromexcel is created using 89 processes, which take 28 days and all five floors of the Horween tannery building in Chicago. Oak Street uses food-grade beef tallow, cosmetic-grade beeswax, marine oil, chrome salts, tree bark extracts and naturally occurring pigments. The mixture is then applied using heat and steam pressure. The process has been nearly the same for 100 years.

The Natural Trench Oxford is made with a true Goodyear welt construction, Vibram sole (Vibram is an Italian company named for it’s founder Vitale Bramani) and calfskin vamp lining. The shoe is fully recraftable; the leather can be reworked, restitched and the outsole can be replaced. The shoe is built on a mold that Oak Street calls their Elston Last, “…a unique last that provides exceptional fit and shape developed to embody the character of Chicago.”

Oak Street Boots run true-to-size. A snug fit is recommended as the shoe will stretch and conform to your foot. Many sizes are pre-order and ship in less than six weeks. Oak Street has a full line of shoes, boots, and accessories. The Natural Roller Buckle Belt ($108) is a great compliment to the Trench Oxford.